|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 2 May 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Rediscovering Mosaic Art in various forms is Alefiya Akberally's passion. Since her childhood days she has, through painting, expressed her ideas and thoughts. Hence, taking to the mosaic art form was as natural to her as fish taking to water.
Her recent travels to Italy and Spain, and her special love for Islamic art and architecture, generated her desire to try out the mosaic art form. Her visit to Australia opened a new opportunity for her to learn and experience mosaic art. Since acquiring these basic techniques and skills she has, with a period of one and a half years, designed and produced many works of mosaic, which are not only aesthetically beautiful, but also are of very practical use e.g. tables, mirrors, wall hangings, sign boards and many more. Mosaic is a decorative art form using 'tesserae' - small pieces of glass, marble, ceramic or stone - to create images or patterns, It is an extremely adaptable medium and endless variations of subjects, materials, colours and applications have been explored over the ages. The method of making mosaics has not changed much over the centuries and, even though it is an ancient art form, it has stood the test of time and is increasingly popular today as a versatile contemporary craft. Mosaic is a very ancient form of art going back to 4000 years or more and has, through centuries, developed from crude babbled pavements to an art form with precise geometric patterns and detailed scenes of people and animals. Its development has passed through the Graeco-Roman period and made a prominent resurgence from the 5th century A.D., centered in Byzantine period (now Istanbul - Turkey) when this form of art took on new characteristics, which included Eastern Influences in styles and the use of special glass tesserae called smalti made in Northern Italy. The Moors brought Islamic mosaic and tile art to Western Europe around the 8th century A.D. and to this day examples can be seen in Spain at the Great Mosque at Cordoba and the Alhambra Palace. The Art Nouveau Movement embraced mosaic art. In Barcelona, Antoni Gaudi with Joseph Maria Jujol produced the stunning ceramic mosaics of Guell Park in the first two decades of the 20th century. They also incorporated the broken crockery and other found objects, a revolutionary idea in formal art and architecture. Another very influential site is the LA Maison Picassiette (Northern France) the idiosyncratic work of Raymonde Isidore between 1938 - 1964, who covered his entire house with mosaics of broken crockery. Today mosaic is in a healthy state despite a tendency for it to be thought of more as a work of crafts-people than artists. Perhaps this is a difficulty in accepting the fact that mosaics often have dual functions, e.g. as flooring and also because it is a very accessible, non-elitist form of creativity. The field is rich with new ideas an approaches, and organisations such as the British Association for Modern Mosaic and the Society of American Mosaic Artists exist to promote mosaic. ###### Dance moves - a delightful dance extravaganza Dance moves - an exciting dance event will go on the boards at the Lionel Wendt auditorium on May 8 and 9. This show has been choreographed by Yoshita Abayasekara,. With 12 years teaching experience behind her, Yoshita conducts classes in many leading International schools in Colombo while running her own dance school.
A highlight of the show will be a dance sequence choreographed by the students themselves, which will be a reflection of their ability to work well together as a team and also be a statement of their talent as future choreographers in this highly specialized field. The dances will cover an extensive range, from classical to modern jazz, hip hop and Salsa. Over 50 enthusiastic dancers, ranging in age from 9 - 18, will perform at the Wendt. A rigorous practice schedule has been followed by these keen young dancers, whose dedication and love of dance will be seen reflected in the style and verve of their performance, says a press release from the organisers. In the first segment of the show, Yoshita has fused modern styles with the classical technique, thus creating her own synthesis which has suited these young performers. This section will be dedicated exclusively to some of her favourite musicals, where dances will be inspired by songs from Grease, Flash dance and the currently popular Chicago. The second section of the show will vary from salsa, jazz, hip hop and moves from the Jackson era. ###### Peterite Chorale : A joyful experience A sell out it was! Securing a ticket and a parking slot were just the first sign of the huge popularity of the performance by - The Peterite Chorale. The pristine sound of the opening lines of Climb Every Mountain amidst a misty, artistically illuminated stage, was enhanced by the convergence of forty elegantly attired gentlemen. Then there it was - Great Pretender, and Black Bird a complete shift in mood and tempo. It was sung with the agility of a five-member band with the rich tonality of a well blended choir, at times however, the entries were hesitant. The Peterite Chorale a group of past students of St. Peter's College who value the religious teachings, sang with majesty and conviction Bless This House. Into the now familiar timber of a rich, controlled brass ensemble of the well trained all male choir, was integrated the tonal beauty of a hundred strings soaring in perfect pitch and harmony, contributed by the Holy Family Convent choir. The rendition of You'll never walk alone was emotionally charged and was very moving perhaps because of its inspiring lyrics. The contribution of the pianist Soundarie David and the magic of the conductor Stefan Corera achieved the operatic grandeur in Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves. Oh what reverence and purity of sound. Ave Maria. Is it from a monastery, a cathedral in the land of its birth? The HFC choir had us enthraled. Fly me to the moon was jazzy and catchy. The program of A Decade together Forever had all ages in mind. A youthful group of the Peterite Chorale and clad in white and black was an instant hit Sound of Silence sung hauntingly after the interval, muted the clatter of a satisfied chatting, munching audience. The more recent songs such as I'm A Believer, and Drift away with the instrumentation, especially the guitar work gelled well with the selection of songs. The boys went to town with Uptown Girl. For a moment I thought that I was at a Rock Concert! Keeping to the tempo, the Peterite Chorale sang away - Ticket to Ride, Only You and I Get Around, with style. Only You was exceptionally enjoyable. HFC joins the Peterite Chorale to sing Sieze the Day. The opening bars of the organ and the soft expressive entry of the choir set us to a spiritual mood until an element of surprise is unleashed - the transformation to a triumphant, interactive, singing between the male and female voices is set to a lively rhythm. This piece of music was enormously enjoyable as it is fresh in the repertoire of local choral singing. The audience and the performers were sharing the same stage, singing and clapping. All in all it was a stellar performance brought about by a dedicated and enthusiastic group of men and women driven by the passion for music. - RB. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
She has choreographed numerous dance shows and Dance moves will be her
maiden effort in presenting a public performance of this magnitude, with
students of her own school and youngsters from other International
Schools.
